American streaming services obviously collect former politicians. Netflix has the Obamas, and Apple+ now has Hillary Clinton. She wrote a book with her daughter Chelsea “The Book of Gutsy Women: Favorite Stories of Courage and Resilience”, and now the two have made a series out of it for Apple, eight episodes about women who deserve the title “gutsy”, i.e. those with guts. This documentary series is, of course, for self-portrayal. At least the topic actually has something to do with Hillary Clinton. One can certainly argue about her political positions as Senator and Secretary of State. But she has, almost single-handedly, turned the perception of women in American politics upside down since the 1990s. She herself was considered a “nasty woman” by many Americans. It’s clear in this series how close together dashing and repulsive still are when it comes to women.
So there’s good reason why so many other gutsy women find her a trustworthy conversationalist, and at many points throughout the eight episodes of “Gutsy,” it’s nice to see and hear how effortlessly Hillary Clinton smiles at her counterpart with her infectious laugh ally power. And her own treasure trove of anecdotes is cute. Who knows that US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who died in March, liked to annoy her opponents on the international stage with meaningful brooches? All in all, “Gutsy” is a general store for women’s destinies, very differently worth knowing.
Hillary Clinton brings talks that really get to you as a viewer
The mother of those murdered in Charlottesville Heather Heyerwho works with the mother of a murdered black man, a former right-wing extremist who now works with youth at risk of radicalization – these are conversations that you don’t see anywhere else and that really get to you as a viewer. Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykeswho tell how they had to fight for their standing as women in the comedy industry: Can you repeat it again, it wasn’t that long ago. Abby Abinantiraised on the Yurok Indian Reservation in Northern California, first Native American woman to be admitted to the bar in the 1970’s and now Chief Justice of the Yurok Tribal Court: a great woman who has wonderful things to say about community caring and she also underpinned with tribal wisdom. Kim Kardashian but then tells how she stood up for a death row inmate via Twitter until shortly before his execution and how it was horrible when she had to stop because of a photo shoot. It would have been better if she had kept the story to herself, and while watching it remains a mystery why something like this wasn’t simply cut out.
But as far as self-expression is concerned, Hillary Clinton does a great job. For a few years she has been wildly determined to end the image of the unapproachable calculation, to correct her image in public again. And she does that very well. Whenever she didn’t get along with other children, she says in the series, her mother sent her out the door again – she was never allowed to hide from the people who didn’t like her. And to this day she hasn’t.
Gutsy, eight episodes, on Apple+ out September 9th.